Introduction

Chris Ryan’s Strike Back, also known as Strike Back: Origins on Cinemax, is a six-part British television series based on the novel of the same name written by best-selling author and former soldier of the Special Air Service, Chris Ryan, and is the first series of Strike Back.

The cast of Strike Back is led by Richard Armitage and Andrew Lincoln, also starring Orla Brady, Shelley Conn, Colin Salmon and Jodhi May, including a variety of guest appearances including Toby Stephens, Ewen Bremner, Dhaffer L’Abidine, Shaun Parkes and Alexander Siddig.

Outline

Porter convinces Baxter he is being used and the two manage to escape from Sharq’s compound. Porter calls Collinson regarding a pick-up and a deal with Baxter, but they have to return to Afghanistan.

When they arrive, a sole Taliban kills Baxter. Collinson confronts Arlington about his deals with Sharq; Arlington readily admits that they are using him as an asset and aiding him to lead the insurgent movement.

After Collinson divulges the pick-up point, Arlington contacts Sharq to have his men kill the two. The soldier who was comatose seven years ago dies.

When Leyla finds a ballistics match with Collinson’s weapon, she confronts and forces him to save Porter at the extraction point. Porter, having learned about his actions, confronts him; Collinson admits that he killed the soldiers because he panicked and mistook them for terrorists. Moments later, they are ambushed by the Taliban.

Collinson is mortally wounded while aiding Porter’s escape, and uses a grenade to kill the Taliban unit.

The episode ends in a cliffhanger, as a Delta force elimination team is given the green light to intercept Porter, who they believe may be headed for Iran.

Strike Back Series

You can find a full index of Series 01 here.

You can find a full index of the Strike Back series here.

Production & Filming Details

• Director(s): Edward Hall.
• Writer(s): Robert Murphy.
• Release Date: 19 May 2010.
• Running Time: 42-48 minutes.
• Country: UK and US.
• Language: English.